Convertible-car construction



J. 0. NEIKIRK.

QONVERTIBLE GAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9, 1919.

1,397,695, Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

Z SHEETSSHEET 1.

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CONVERTIBLE GAR CONSTRUCTION.

APPLICATlON FILED AUG.9, I919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Patented Nov. 22, 1921.

f/wezzzcw OJVukw/g 9 W VL% UNITED WS -T QFFI JOHN o. NEIKIRK, or LOMBARD, ILLINOIS, ssIGNoa TO, aonGEnnALLAsr can 00., or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A oonronerron for MAINE;

I CONVERTIBLE-GAR oonsrnvorron.

Specification of Letters Patent. Pallfilllid NOV- 22, 1921.

Application filed August 9, 1919. serial No. 316,311.

provide a car of the Hart convertible type from which the load may be dumped to the side or to the center, or partially to the side and partially to the center.

This object is attained by providing a car having a central longitudinal stationary hopper portion, the car being provided along the sides of the floor with swinging doors mounted so "that they may drop downwardly to a dumping position, be raised to a horizontal position to form a part of the flat floor of the car, or swung upwardly to an inclined position, in which case the doors form an extended wall of the central hopper.

In this particular aspect, therefore, the invention comprises a car having the stationary central longitudinal hopper portion with the swinging doors mounted along the upper outer edges of the hopper portion, which doors in one position form extensions of the hopper sides. In this embodiment of the invention, the hopper sides are completed by freely swinging doors which in one position form portions of the car sides.

The invention is illustrated on the accom panying sheets of drawings'in which,-

Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of a convertible car embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same car.

Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that I have shown a convertible car having sides including stakes 10, which are connected at their lower ends by continuous cross beams 11, whereby the load of the car is transmitted to the sides thereof. Longitudinal sills 12 are mounted over and rest upon the cross beams 11. The body of the car includes a central stationary longitudinal hopper 13 formed by an inclined stationary wall 14 and an inclined movable wall in the form of a door 15, whereby the load may be center' dumped;

When the car is'used as a flat bottom car, the central hopper 13 is covered. In this particular case, it is covered partially by members 16 which, when the car is arranged as a hopper car, are used as hopper end wall spaced from theregular car end walls 17, as

shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The re- ,maining portion of the hopper 13 at each end is covered by a movably mounted member 24;, which when the car is used as a hop per car is moved over upon the floor end portion 25 as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The flat floor adjacent the central hopper 13 is formed by longitudinally extending doors 18, which are pivotally mounted at 19 along their inner edges or along the upper outer edges of that portion of the hopper 13 belowthe floor level.

As shown at the left hand side of the Fig. 1, the floor door 18 is arranged in a horizontal plane,-in which position it is located when thecaris used as a fiat bottom car. Under the same circumstances, the side wall doors 20 are in a vertical position engaging the side stakes 10, the car sides also including stationary portions 21 located above the doors 20. It will be noted that the doors 20 in their vertical positions form stops, which prevent the floor doors 18 from being moved upwardly from a horizontal position. When the doors 20 are swung inwardly from theirvertical position as shown at the right hand side of Fig. 1', the floor doors-18 may be raised.

When the car is arranged as a flat bottom car, the load may be dumped .to the sides thereof by dropping the doors 18, said doors being provided with suitable operating mechanism, including chains or cables 22 and operating shafts 23 carried by the side of the car.

When it is desired to change the car from a flat bottom car to a central hopper car, the same is done by shifting the car side doors 20 into an inclined position, as shown at the right hand side of the Fig. 1. and in which position the side wall doors 20 are supported by the floor doors 18, which also are moved into an inclined, position, the floor doors 18 being supported in the inclined position by the door operating mechanism, including the cables 22 and shafts 23. It will be noted that the floor doors 18 at their outer ends are provided with laterally exare connected. Theefi'ect of this strut con nection is to force the door 18 inwardly toward the c'ent'erot' the-car when it is" raised thereby forming aneffective support for the sidedoors 20. r r

When the car is arranged as a center hopclined planes. that the temporary hopper ilOOIPOI'tlOIlS 16 and-24 will be moved from their full line positions as shown in'Fig. 2 to their dotted line positions as shown in the same figure. V I-leretofore with the central hopper arrangement, no provision has been made to dump a portion of the load to the sides of the car; However, by means of my imbe lowered-from their inclined position, in

which they form hopper side walls, to positions wherein-a portion of the load will be dumped to the sides of the car." It Wlll be understood that as the floor doors 18 are moved downwardly from an inclined position, the side wall doors 20 will swing latererally to their vertical positions, thereby permitting an increased flow of material past the floor doors 18 after the latter have passed downwardly beyond a horizontal position. If desired, the central "hopper door 15 may be opened at the same time for conter-dnmping V l ltismy' intention to cover all'modifications of the invention falling within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

@Iclaim: e

i 1. A car ofthe class described, including a central longitudinally disposed hopper portion, doors'hinged along the upper outer edges of said hopper portion arranged to form in one position a partotthe horizontal floor of the car and to be swung up-' wardly from the horizontal position to form a portion'of a hopper side an'dswung "downwardlyfor dumping purposes-and freely swinging side wall doors which in an inclined position also form a portlon of a hopper side, said side wall doors when in a' vertical position forming stops for SELIClflOOI'V doors preventing movement of the latter in a given direction.

i 2. car of the class descrlbed, including a body having a sidewall door and a floor door Y which may be moved into an" inclined posi tion to form ahopper side wall, the sidewall door in one position acting as a stop to pre- "ventupw ard swinging of the floordoor from- "a horizontalposition, the floor doorbeing "tal position.

movable fromsaid inclined position for side dumping.

3; A caret the'rlass described, including a body having aside wall door and a floor door whichniay be moved into an inclined position a form a hopper side wall, the side wall door'being supported by the fioor door V doors being supported by the other in said 7 position, the floor door being movable from said incllned position for side dumping, and

I V V "said side wall door moving laterally as the proved door arrangement, the doors 18. may

fioordoor moves downwardly for increasing the flow of the dumpable material.

A; carof the class descrlbed, including a boi'ly'having movable side portions and movable floor portions which respectively occu iiy vertical and horizontal positions when the car is arranged as a fiat bottom car and which take an inclined position to term a hopper side wall when the car'is arranged as a hopper car, the movable side portion being supported by the movable floor portion in said inclined position, saidfloor portion being movable for side dumpingfrom an in-' clined hopper position and from a'horizon- 6. A'car of the class described, including ,a body having a movable side wall door and a movable floor door which when the caris arranged as a flat car are respectivelym vertical and horizontal positions, said doors be- 7 "111g movable into an mcllned posltion to form a hopper side wall, said floordoor being movable from" its inclined and horizontal positions forside dumping, and a door operating mechanism for said floor door whereby the latter is supported in its inclined position and in turn supports the side wall door in inclined position.

7. A car of the class described, including a body having a side wall door and a floor door which may be movedinto an inclined positionto form a hopper side walhand means connected to the floor door including a laterally extending strut portion and an associated flexible member whereby the floor door will support the side wall door when both are inian inclined position.- I

Signedat' Lombard, Illinois, this 81st day of July, 1919 i i JOHN O. NEIKI'R'K'. 

